Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Conditional Use Permit topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission recommends approval for expanded fuel storage near 1st Avenue
Summary
The Durant Planning Commission voted 4–1 to recommend that City Council approve a conditional use permit allowing an expansion of above‑ground fuel tanks at a site near 1st Avenue; commissioners and staff said final construction must meet fire and state fuel‑storage codes and obtain required permits.
The Durant Planning Commission on a 4–1 vote recommended City Council approve a conditional use permit that would allow a local fuel operator to add three above‑ground storage tanks adjacent to an existing service station near 1st Avenue.
Commissioner Holder, Commissioner Kerr, Commissioner Horner and Chairman Jackson voted to recommend approval; Vice Chairman Shane Knight cast the lone dissent. The commission’s recommendation means the item will appear before City Council next Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Staff said the CUP is intended to give the company a temporary approval so it can place orders for tanks while the applicants complete a replat and rezoning process. An email and an in‑person concern were submitted raising traffic and noise worries; staff read those comments into the record.
Applicant Chris Nelson said the tanks are needed to expand an established on‑site operation and that the company sought the CUP to place orders while final plats and drawings are prepared. "We're trying to get the approval just to order the tanks while we go through the process of replatting," Nelson said.
Officials on the record said the site would remain subject to multiple code and permit reviews before any construction or operation could begin. A city fire‑division representative and building staff traced the review path: site plans and construction drawings must be submitted, reviewed and approved against the International Building Code and International Fire Code (2018 editions) and LP gas administration rules; the Oklahoma Corporation Commission also has state permitting and inspection requirements for fuel facilities.
The commission debated whether the city's ordinance that generally prohibits new bulk fuel storage inside city limits except where established before 1973 applied to the requested expansion. One commissioner noted the ordinance language; staff and other speakers pointed out the property has hosted above‑ground storage for decades and that state and fire codes include permit pathways and exemptions. The record includes a staff note that there has been above‑ground storage at the location since at least 1972.
Commissioners discussed contingencies and enforcement. Several said they expected final approval to be conditioned on obtaining required approvals from the fire division and building official and passing necessary state reviews before an operational permit would be granted. The fire‑division representative said he was preliminarily comfortable with the proposed location but stressed that final construction must comply with applicable codes and that plan review and inspections would be required.
The commission’s recommendation is advisory; City Council will make the final decision and may add conditions or require additional documentation before issuing any permit or approving a rezoning or replat.
